Orange lacks bite early, loses to Wolfpack 74-70

Cuse MBB loses 74-70 to NC State

Matthew Moyer attempts to slow down NC State possession. Photo by Riley Bunch

Photo by Riley Bunch

Oshae Brissett slams a dunk against NC State. Photo by Riley Bunch

Marek Dolezaj goes up for a basket against NC State defense. Riley Bunch

NC State player dunks a basket against slow to recover Syracuse team. Photo by Riley Bunch

Tyus Battle goes for three points during game against NC State. Photo by Riley Bunch

Photo by Riley Bunch

Photo by Riley Bunch

In a game with 42 combined fouls and 34 turnovers, this was not a pretty affair by any means.
Syracuse (17-9, 6-7 ACC) held NC State (17-9, 7-6 ACC) in check from deep early on. After halting the Wolfpack following a 10-0 run at the end of the first half, it seemed to be anyone’s game.

Syracuse failed to control the pace of the game and NC State ended up shooting 54 percent from 3-point range in the second half. Coming down the stretch, the Orange could not come up with a stop and with 35 seconds remaining, NC State’s Markell Johnson’s three iced the game.

When asked about his contribution and game result, Oshae Brissett said, “I was just picking my spots and my teammates trusted me … We have tough games coming up on the road and another tough one at home. We are going to focus on Miami now and forget about this one because we know that every game matters.”

There was additional production from the frontcourt, too. Tyus Battle scored 17 points on 5-14 shooting, while Frank Howard collected 16 points and six assists. Both played the game’s full 40 minutes once again.

Matthew Moyer came off the bench and scored eight points in 28 minutes. The freshman forward missed Sunday’s game against Wake Forest following some ankle trouble. Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said after the game that Moyer “played really good.”

Pascal Chukwu (back) and Bourama Sidibe (knee) played limited minutes and combined for two points and three rebounds.

Up next, Syracuse hits the road for a matchup against Miami (18-7, 7-6 ACC) on Feb. 17. The game starts at 12 p.m.